Carbon Nanotube Wearable Sensors for Health Diagnostics.

This perspective article highlights a recent surge of interest in the application of textiles containing carbon nanotube (CNT) sensors for human health monitoring. Modern life puts more and more pressure on humans, which translates into an increased number of various health disorders. Unfortunately, this effect either decreases the quality of life or shortens it prematurely. A possible solution to this problem is to employ sensors to monitor various body functions and indicate an upcoming disease likelihood at its early stage. A broad spectrum of materials is currently under investigation for this purpose, some of which already entered the market. One of the most promising materials in this field are CNTs. They are flexible and of high electrical conductivity, which can be modulated upon several forms of stimulation. The article begins with an illustration of techniques for how wearable sensors can be built from them. Then, their application potential for tracking various health parameters is presented. Finally, the article ends with a summary of this field's progress and a vision of the key directions to domesticate this concept

The Effect of the Gaseous Environment on the Electrical Conductivity of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Films over a Wide Temperature Range.

The surrounding gas atmosphere can have a significant influence on the electrical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) ensembles. In this study, we subjected CNT films to various gaseous environments or vacuum to observe how such factors alter the electrical resistance of networks at high temperatures. We showed that the removal of adsorbed water and other contaminants from the surface under reduced pressure significantly affects the electrical conductivity of the material. We also demonstrated that exposing the CNT films to the hydrogen atmosphere (as compared to a selection of gases of inert and oxidizing character) at elevated temperatures results in a notable reduction of electrical resistance. We believe that the observed sensitivity of the electrical properties of the CNT films to hydrogen or vacuum at elevated temperatures could be of practical importance

Copper-decorated CNTs as a possible electrode material in supercapacitors

Copper is probably one of the most important metal used in the broad range of electronic applications. It has been developed for many decades, and so it is very hard to make any further advances in its electrical and thermal performance by simply changing the manufacture to even more oxygen-free conditions. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) due to their excellent electrical, thermal and mechanical properties seem like an ideal component to produce Cu-CNT composites of superior electrochemical performance. In this report we present whether Cu-CNT contact has a beneficial influence for manufacturing of a new type of carbon-based supercapacitor with embedded copper particles. The prepared electrode material was examined in symmetric cell configuration. The specific capacity and cyclability of composite were compared to parent CNT and oxidized CNT

Carbon Nanotube Films for Energy Applications

This perspective article describes the application opportunities of carbon nanotube (CNT) films for the energy sector. Up to date progress in this regard is illustrated with representative examples of a wide range of energy management and transformation studies employing CNT ensembles. Firstly, this paper features an overview of how such macroscopic networks from nanocarbon can be produced. Then, the capabilities for their application in specific energy-related scenarios are described. Among the highlighted cases are conductive coatings, charge storage devices, thermal interface materials, and actuators. The selected examples demonstrate how electrical, thermal, radiant, and mechanical energy can be converted from one form to another using such formulations based on CNTs. The article is concluded with a future outlook, which anticipates the next steps which the research community will take to bring these concepts closer to implementation

Effective Doping of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with Polyethyleneimine

More and more electrically conducting materials are required to sustain the technological progress of civilization. Faced with the performance limits of classical materials, the R community has put efforts into developing nanomaterials, which can offer sufficiently high operational parameters. In this work, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were doped with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to create such material. The results show that it is most fruitful to combine these components at the synthesis stage of an SWCNT network from their dispersion. In this case, the electrical conductivity of the material is boosted from 249 ± 21 S/cm to 1301 ± 56 S/cm straightforwardly and effectively

A Straightforward Approach to Create Ag/SWCNT Composites

Flexible and conductive materials have a high application potential across many parts of modern life. In this work, thin free-standing films from single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were doped with Ag to enhance their electrical conductivity. A facile method to integrate these two materials is described herein. As a consequence, the material exhibited a six-fold boost to the electrical conductivity: an increase from 250 ± 11 S/cm to 1721 ± 125 S/cm. Interestingly, the specific conductivity remained at a comparable level upon doping, so the material was deemed promising in exploitation fields whereweight is of the essence. Furthermore, the material showed good bending characteristics, thereby revealing its applicability in flexible electronics

Enhancing Electrical Conductivity of Composites of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Ethyl Cellulose with Water Vapor

Electrically conducting composites are highly sought-after materials. Their capacity to withstand mechanical deformation while simultaneously offering facile charge transport recently opened numerous exploitation fields for them. In this contribution, composites were made from single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and ethyl cellulose (EC). Then, a straightforward process of doping involving water vapor was developed and tested over 30 days. The inclusion of water in the EC/SWCNT network resulted in a notable increase in the electrical conductivity from 250 ± 21 S/cm to 905 ± 34 S/cm. Interestingly, doping of the material experienced remarkable stability due to the favorable surface chemistry of the EC filler

Relict root left in the mandible after extraction of the teeth 35 as a causative agent of the inflammation process in the region of mental foramen of the mandible

We present a case of iatrogenic complication after extraction of the teeth 35 in 63-years old women. There was a root of the teeth left in the bone. It was a causative agent of pain sensations and inflammation of the surrounding tissues. Due to the close distance between the root, mandible canal and mental foramen of mandible the removal of relict root was burden with high risk of parasthesis

Chitin and carbon nanotube composites as biocompatible scaffolds for neuron growth

Preparation of biocompatible and electrically-conducting chitin nanotube composite scaffold for potential use in implantable electrode for stimulation and repair of neurons.</p

Enhancing thermoelectric properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes using halide compounds at room temperature and above.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are materials with exceptional electrical, thermal, mechanical, and optical properties. Ever since it was demonstrated that they also possess interesting thermoelectric properties, they have been considered a promising solution for thermal energy harvesting. In this study, we present a simple method to enhance their performance. For this purpose, thin films obtained from high-quality single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) were doped with a spectrum of inorganic and organic halide compounds. We studied how incorporating various halide species affects the electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and the Power Factor. Since thermoelectric devices operate under non-ambient conditions, we also evaluated these materials' performance at elevated temperatures. Our research shows that appropriate dopant selection can result in almost fivefold improvement to the Power Factor compared to the pristine material. We also demonstrate that the chemical potential of the starting CNT network determines its properties, which is important for deciphering the true impact of chemical and physical functionalization of such ensembles